by Cole Lepley
His jaw twitches slightly, and he leans in closer to me. “Elle, I heard you were fucking around with Andrews. I can’t let you do that.”
There it is. I reach my hand out and shove him back a little. “You’ll never change, will you?” I release a bitter laugh. “I knew as soon as I started to see someone else, you’d be pissed.”
I turn to walk away from him, and he spins me back around. “It’s not about that.” His voice is louder than I would like and the small crowd that formed around him is now an even larger one around us.
I throw my hands up. “Then what’s it about, Judah? Ever since you left you’ve been acting like we were this epic love and that is so far from the truth.”
“How can you say that?” he whispers.
“Because it’s true.”
I feel someone come up behind me, and I turn my head to see Dylan glaring over top of me. At this point I’m wishing for the ground to open up and swallow me whole.
“Leave her alone. She obviously doesn’t want you here,” Dylan grits out at him.
Judah clenches and unclenches his fist, and I take a breath. “Really, Andrews? You wanna go there?”
Dylan steps in front of me and gets inches from his face. “Yeah, I wanna go there.” He pokes him in the chest. “You can’t just show up and stake claim to her anytime you feel threatened. You left.”
Judah lets out a dark laugh. “I’m not going to stand around and let her date a douchebag like you.”
Seriously? Let me. I’m extremely tired of every guy in my life telling me what I should and shouldn’t be doing. I step forward to intervene, but then take one back when Judah gives Dylan a forceful shove in the shoulder.
Dylan’s face turns red and his eyes narrow. “She should be used to it.” He leans in and gets closer to Judah’s face. “She did date you after all.”
Judah laughs again and some taunting cheers go through the crowd around us. They’re both about the same height and have the same drunken testosterone running through their veins. Not a good combination.
Judah gets that cocky smirk on his face, and I know he’s about to lose it. “That’s your problem. You wish you could be me.” He glances over Dylan’s shoulder and locks eyes with me for a second before focusing his anger back on him. “—but you never will. Not even close.”
I bring my hand up to cover my mouth, and my pulse begins to quicken. They’re really going to do this, aren’t they?
Dylan shoves Judah in the chest, and he stumbles backwards. Judah pops his jaw with his hand, his laugh more sinister. “You’re going to regret that.”
I’m about to try to stop them again when Oliver shows up out of nowhere and pulls Judah back by his collar. “Okay, pissing contest is over boys.”
Judah shrugs him off, and Oliver laughs darkly as he leans into him. “You don’t want to fucking start with me. I promise it won’t end well for you.”
Judah clenches his teeth but backs off. I almost breathe a sigh relief until Dylan unexpectedly takes a swing. What the fuck?
Dramatic cries ring out from the circle, and they start up all over again. Oliver gets back in the middle of them just as Hunter comes up behind me. He gives me a look of disapproval before stepping around and grabbing Dylan from Judah’s grasp.
“Alright, that’s enough!” Oliver yells over them. “Party’s fucking over. Everybody go get alcohol poisoning somewhere else tonight.”
Cries of disappointment echo through the crowd, and Oliver waves them off. “That’s right, I’m an asshole,” he says with an amused expression while they stumble past him.
“I’m not leaving,” Judah declares, crossing his arms.
I give a helpless look to Dylan and he shakes his head. “Alright, I get it.” His lips press into a hard line, and I reach for his hand.
“I’m really sorry, Dylan.”
He squeezes it once and then pulls back. “I’m sorry, too.” As bad as I feel for him right now, I let him walk away. He’s probably sorry he got involved in our drama in the first place. He doesn’t deserve to be dragged into this anymore.
Oliver squeezes Judah on the shoulder with excessive force. “You gonna be cool now, dickhead?”
“Yeah, I’m cool.”
Oliver gives a stiff nod. “Okay, then.” He turns to me. “Are you okay?”
Hunter remains silent even though his eyes blaze over at me. I keep my focus on Oliver and give him a nod. “I’m fine.”
“Clean this shit up,” he says to me before patting Hunter on the back. “Let’s go, man.”
I see the hesitation on Hunter’s face as Judah staggers closer to me. He holds my stare for what seems like forever before he reluctantly follows Oliver inside.
“Elle?” Judah says, pulling me out of my temporary trance. For the first time since he got here I take in how drunk he is. I reach out and place my hands on his waist while he struggles to stay upright.
“You can’t keep doing this. You can’t do whatever you want at school and then come home and freak out because I’m doing the same thing.”
He takes a step back from me and straightens his stance. He runs his hands through his hair and lets out a long breath. “I know. I’m fucking sorry, I just can’t help it.” He shakes his head. “I don’t want you to be with someone else. Especially one of my friends.”
“This was your idea.” I throw my arms out and then let them fall to my sides.
He steps closer, his voice low. “I think it was a mistake.”
“You’re right. We probably should have broken up completely.”
His eyebrows furrow, and he shakes his head. “No, Elle.” He steps closer to me. “That’s not what I meant. I think this arrangement was a mistake.”
The anguish in his eyes brings me pause. I know it’s not just the alcohol talking, and I do feel bad for him, but something is holding me back. The ache that’s been slowly building in my chest isn’t because of Judah.
I take a deep breath. “I don’t think it was.”
Judah stays quiet for a moment, the muscle in his jaw slowly ticking. I hold my breath when he finally speaks.
“Do you want me to go?”
Considering that he’s still somewhat swaying in front of me, I know that I can’t ask him to do that.
“I can’t let you drive like this.”
His eyes are remorseful when they meet mine again. “You’ll let me stay?”
I sigh. “I don’t have much of a choice, do I?” I poke my finger into his chest. “You will sleep here and that’s it. In the morning you’re gone.”
He nods quickly. “Just sleep.”
I shake my head and then begin to drag him toward the house. I somehow manage to get him up the stairs with minimal complications. When we reach my bedroom he practically falls onto my bed.
“I’m sorry, Elle. I’ll show you,” he mutters and then curls himself against my pillow.
I clasp my hands on top of my head, and my frustration hits it’s breaking point. “I’ll get you some water. You’re really going to feel like shit tomorrow.”
His voice is muffled when he speaks again, facedown, and no doubt slobbering, on my pillow. “You’re so good to me, babe. I love you so much.”
Huffing a bitter laugh, I step outside of the room and run directly into Hunter. He pokes his head over my shoulder and lets out a growl. “You can’t be serious?”
The fact that he thinks I plan on sleeping with Judah is almost amusing, but I take advantage of it anyway. “That’s none of your business.”
He shakes his head. “You’re better than this, Elle.” The pleading look in his eyes almost takes my breath away, but I fight through it.
“Maybe I’m not.”
His jaw hardens as he stares back at me, whispering harshly through his teeth. “Elliot, I am fucking begging you. Do not do this.”
Even though it feels like my heart may physically break, I force a hard smile. “I’m calling it, Hunter. Game over.”
It takes eve
rything inside of me to step back from him and close the door in his face. That’s the thing about war—the higher the stakes, the harder you fall.
12
Life Lessons From Oliver Monroe
The basketball echoes loudly against the pavement, directly into my brain. It’s the only thing I hear while I stare at Judah’s truck still parked in the driveway. Oliver waves his hands in front of my face, catching my attention.
“Dude, you gonna shoot that ball or what?” he cries.
I grit my teeth and launch the ball toward the basket. It circles fast around the rim and bounces back at Oliver, and he laughs. “You fucking suck, man.” He chuckles to himself while he jogs over to retrieve it. “You know, Hunter. For someone who used to play a lot of sports, you’re pretty bad at them lately.”
He dribbles past me and goes in for a perfect lay-up. “I didn’t play basketball. I played soccer, asshole.”
He smirks, passing the ball back to me. “That’s your problem. Soccer is for pussies.”
I narrow my eyes, attempting to dribble around him, but he blocks me. “Come on, tough guy. Show me what you got.” He moves quickly back and forth on his feet, taunting me. Competitive motherfucker.
I let out a growl, darting around him and shoot from the three-point line. I release a string of profanities when it bounces off the backboard and down the driveway. Oliver shakes his head before chasing after it.
My chest begins to burn again, and I can feel my cheeks getting redder as the heat rises up my neck.
“Calm down, man. It’s just a game,” Oliver remarks nonchalantly as he shoots another one, making it of course.
I run both hands through my hair, taking a calming breath. “I’m just off today.”
“It’s cool. Normal people have off days all the time.” He winks at me before sinking another perfect three-point shot. “Not everyone can be awesome like me.”
“Dude?”
“What?” he says with a laugh. He points his finger at me while he continues to dribble with the other hand. “That’s your problem. You lack confidence.”
“Fuck you, Ollie. I do not.”
He nods his head mockingly. “Yeah, you do. You’re too inside your head all the time. You need to relax and just let things happen.” He proceeds to dribble the ball in and out of his legs in a figure eight. Now he’s just showing off.
I glance down the driveway again and my nostrils flare. “What’s he still fucking doing here, anyway?”
Oliver’s eyebrows pull in, and he begins to dribble a little slower. “Who? Judah?”
My stomach drops when I realize my mistake. The wave of emotions I’ve been feeling since last night are becoming increasingly harder to control.
He eyes me carefully. “Why do you care if he’s still here?”
I attempt to shrug casually. “I don’t. I just—he was such a dick last night I can’t believe she let him stay here.”
“Eh, he’s always like that. Pretty sure she’s used to it by now.”
“Why do girls think that shit is acceptable? Like it’s supposed to be normal or something.”
Oliver smiles. “That’s how girls are. It’s like a twisted game that they get off on trying to tame you.” He launches the ball to my chest, and I catch it. “Trust me, I should know.”
I scoff. “Don’t you ever want an actual relationship or are you just going to slut yourself through life?”
“Aw, Hunter. Are you jealous of all the mad game I have?” He steals the ball from me, and I let out a frustrated grunt. He dribbles it just out of my reach as he speaks. “I’m going to let you in on a little secret my friend. The way to set yourself up for a stress-free life.”
His ego is about the explode. “Enlighten me.”
“Glad you asked.” He pulls his free hand into his chest. “Take my job for instance. I’m a physical education teacher. I’m talking dodgeball and shit.” He leans into me. “It doesn’t get any easier than that.”
I nod. “Okay, so far I’ll give you that.”
He holds up a finger. “Second, I coach track. Running is like the easiest sport ever. A complete idiot couldn’t fuck that up.”
I actually laugh. He’s beyond ridiculous right now. But once again, he has me laughing instead of breaking everything in the guest house, so I’m happy to have him.
He tosses the ball into the grass and grips my shoulder. “You need to get laid. I’m taking you out tonight.”
I shake my head. “No, I’m not up for that.”
He cocks his head. “Haven’t you been listening to me at all. I’m trying to help you.” He throws his arm over my shoulder and begins to lead us back to the house. “And if I’m going to help you, you need to do what I tell you.” He releases me with a shove, and I glare at him.
“Maybe it doesn’t work that way for me.”
His face falls a little, and I know exactly what he’s thinking about. He grips the back of his neck. “Listen, man. I know you’ve got your shit to deal with still, and I want you to know that I’m here if you want to talk about it.” He holds his hands up and gives a crooked smile. “I won’t call you a pussy or anything, I promise.”
My jaw tenses. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Okay, I get it. But I also know I’m the only one here that knows what you’re going through.” He pauses. “So, if you ever do want to talk about it. I’m here.”
I nod slowly as my hand grasps the doorknob. I’m about to push it open when it’s pulled forward for me.
Judah stumbles slightly and gives a lazy grin back at me. “Hey, sorry man. Rough night.”
His bloodshot eyes still have a slight twinkle to them, and I struggle not to break his jaw. “It’s cool,” I say tersely.
He nods to Oliver. “Sorry about last night. You know how it is.”
“Yeah, but I’m not sure how much longer Elle is going to put up with your shit. You’re treading water my friend.”
I close my eyes for a moment as the pounding inside my brain intensifies. It makes me incredibly angry that Oliver is so chill with him. If he only knew what I was thinking right now.
Judah shrugs. “We fight, we make up, typical Elliot. She’ll be over it soon and on to the next fucking thing to bitch about.”
God, I want to kill him right now. I bite the inside of my cheek until the metallic taste begins to fill my mouth.
“I’ll see you next week, brother,” Judah says patting Oliver on the back on his way past.
Oliver raises an eyebrow. “You coming back so soon? Gonna be racking the miles at this rate.”
Judah laughs. “Yeah, but it’s for Fall Festival. Gotta see my girl be crowned queen one last time.”
I breathe forcefully through my nose and keep my jaw clamped shut. So, she is going to take him? Although, I worry it’s not part of the game anymore. Maybe I pushed her too far, and she decided to give him a second chance? That thought alone makes my blood boil.
Judah finally pulls down the driveway, and I nudge Oliver. “Why do you let him talk about her like that?”
Oliver looks confused. Not a surprise, but it still pisses me off how oblivious he is sometimes. He shrugs. “He talks shit. Most of the time I think it’s for other people’s benefit to keep up some tough guy image or whatnot.”
“It’s still bullshit.”
“Yeah,” he says. “It is, but they’re not serious. It’s high school puppy love that’s already starting to fade. A couple more months and I’ll bet he won’t even bother to come home anymore.”
Oliver may seem confident about that, but I’m not so sure. He seems determined to prevent her from moving on with anyone, and I’ll bet that he’s a couple of months away from coming home for good. Maybe I’m just fighting the inevitable. For all I know Elliot could be thinking the exact same thing. Judah might be end game for her and everyone else is disposable.
“Second thought,” I say suddenly. “You’re right. Let’s go out tonight, I need to let off some stea
m.”
He smiles. “I’ll knew you’d come around.”
The harsh morning light glares through my window and I roll over to shield my eyes. My face lands in something soft—and it’s not a pillow. A seductive smile peers back at me from a blonde-haired stranger.
I roll onto my back and pinch the bridge of my nose as the events of last night come flooding back to me in a rush. The bar, doing shots with Oliver, making out with this blonde, more shots with Oliver, the Uber ride home— My stomach lurches when I spy the condom wrapper at the foot of the bed. Fuck!
“Sorry I stayed,” she says and then she sits up and stretches her arms above her head. “Shit got pretty crazy last night, and I passed out.” She turns and runs a finger down my chest. “You’re something else, Hunter Graham. Surprising coming from you. You seem so gentle outside of the bedroom.”
I laugh once. “I guess I’m full of surprises.”
She leans down and kisses my cheek before pushing off the bed. “You sure are. Call me if you want to do it again sometime.”
I watch her get dressed, resting my hands behind my head. I’m not going to call her; I can’t even believe I let myself sleep with her in the first place. I promised myself that no matter what Elliot did, I wouldn’t stoop to her level. And here I am, no better than she is. Maybe we deserve each other after all?
My new friend leaves a few minutes later, and I stumble my way through a shower. I’m thankful it’s Sunday and I don’t have to be subjected to seeing Elliot if I don’t want to. I’ll just avoid her at all costs until I have to face it tomorrow morning. My plan is out the window when I enter the living room in only a pair of sweatpants. Elliot is sitting on my couch, eyeing me with suspicion.
I swallow hard, taking in the anger in her eyes.
“What are you doing here?”
She keeps glaring at me with a hatred so harsh her hazel eyes look like they’re on fire. “When I heard you were going out with Ollie, I assumed you’d be back quick. Ollie usually finds a distraction and bails on his wingman—but I never thought the one who needed the distraction would be you.”